University of Plymouth - Dethrone the pirate kings

Following the spate of maritime kidnappings off the coast of east Africa, the University of Plymouth is to host a conference focusing on the growing problem of piracy. "Held to Ransom - Piracy in Modern Times" will be opened by Pottengal Mukundan, director of the International Maritime Bureau, on 19 March. Paul Todd, the conference organiser, said: "Piracy is a growing problem, and it is right that Plymouth, with its maritime connections, should host this conference." It will cover legal issues and other topics relevant to modern piracy, which tends to be based on a "kidnap-and-ransom" approach.